Keeping Score
by lostinwanderland
Summary: "It all started that one time he watched her..." - Eriol struggling to believe he has met his match, consequently trying, whenever he can, to outdo Tomoyo in wit and insight. A story of secret friendly rivalry, of growth, and of course, of love. ET; A short four part series set during and after manga. Update: Complete!
1. Keeping Score

**A/N:** Hey guys! I've had this ET fic bubbling around in my head for a while and I've finally decided to publish it. This will be part one in a two possibly three chapter oneshot (or is it threeshot?) Follows the manga timeline. Part two (and three) will be post manga. Enjoy! :)

 **Disclaimer:** The characters of CLAMP do not belong to me!

* * *

 _ **"** **There were some things that neither I nor Clow Reed could predict."**_ – Eriol Hiiragizawa

* * *

It all started that one time he watched her, although secretly, he had been watching her all along. He was always watching everyone anyhow— _the best at watching_ , he thought—watching others, watching situations, watching flowers bloom and die before his very eyes. Flowers were always blooming and dying, something he had observed for more than one lifetime. Life, growth, death: it was simply an inescapable cycle of human existence, of nature.

Something began to bloom that afternoon when he watched her—something different and unexpected, but he didn't know what it was at the time. Was it friendship? Pleasant agreement? Or was it just a passing moment?

Sakura-san and Li-kun were being blissfully unaware as usual, shaking pinkies and unknowingly falling in love. The pure-hearted are so fortunate in a way he would never understand, and as he looked at her, he knew she would never either.

Watching Sakura-san was his job; watching everyone else was just for fun. Watching her watching Sakura-san, however, he extracted more insight than she probably realized.

So he had decided to speak up, to make a mere observation. Where was the harm in doing so?

"You're always doing that," he commented, eyes glinting, "watching Sakura-san with kind eyes."

 _She won't know what hit her_ , he thought slyly as he walked up behind her. Her dark ebony hair fell in gentle cascades down her back and the soft curls flung around with her as she turned to face him, a stack of paper in her arms. Their eyes met for a split second before hers crinkled into a sweet smile—too suspiciously sweet.

"The same as you, Hiiragizawa-kun," she responded, still smiling.

And for a moment then, he forgot his façade. Quickly recovering from his mild shock, he recomposed his face, mirroring her in mustering up his most suspicious sweet smile.

Indeed, something blossomed that afternoon—something different and unexpected—and he knew what it was.

It was competition.

––

Something was growing, but he never intended to water it. He had a job to do and decided to spare no further thought to her while he focused on Sakura-san. Finally, with time, the cards had all been transformed. His work in Japan was finally finished.

They were all sitting in his dining room around him, asking questions but nonetheless celebrating—all except Yue, but that was to be expected. He would get to him later.

Because if there was anything he prided himself on—and he prided himself on a lot of things—it was his perception. He noticed Yue's displeasure the moment the solemn guardian stepped over the threshold of his mansion. Yes, he was perceptive, and he didn't know anyone who could feasibly match his, _him_ the reincarnation of Clow Reed…

…until that day after Sakura had transformed all the cards, he thought maybe, just maybe.

"But with your initial power, it would have been dangerous to change the Clow Cards without a purpose," he explained.

"Therefore, you had to make the situations where I had to change the cards," Sakura-san realized, comprehension dawning on her then. It was endearing how glorious she looked when she finally figured it out, as if nothing could tarnish her joy.

"So…it was like that…" Li-kun mumbled.

Then, as if right on cue, Daidouji-san opened her mouth and began to speak. Inwardly, he gathered himself. He would be prepared this time for whatever quip she sent his way.

"I knew that you were really a kind person, Hiiragizawa-kun," she supplied.

He studied her carefully, trying to find a weak point, something to point out and catch her off guard. She was the only one in the room who knew and saw. She had to have a motive for doing what she did.

"Why do you say that?"

"You were always watching Sakura-chan and Li-kun with kind eyes and looking out for them," she said, continuing to grin. Yes, he knew she knew that. He figured that out last time they talked.

Maybe she recognized him as a force to be reckoned with, he thought smugly. He really was, if he did say so himself, and perhaps that made her worry for her and her friends.

"You were worried about the kind of person I am?" he tried, fishing for more information, or hopefully, prompting a reaction that knocked her off her usual put-togetherness. He was inwardly rather flattered, really, if she was so worried about him she observed him this closely.

"No, that's not it," was all she simply said.

 _Alright, that's how it's going to be_ , he thought as he looked at her smiling back at him, she was always on her guard. Give her a compliment, then, why not.

"You may not have magical powers, but your sharp insights and your gentle heart are perhaps worth more than magic."

She continued to smile. Eriol leaned back in his chair, slightly impressed against his own will.

––

"What's something even Clow couldn't predict?" he asked.

Eriol hesitated, giving the moment the proper weight and suspense. He wanted to laugh at their confused and eager expressions as the two sat next to each other, completely mystified and curious. Oh, the delight of watching them figure it out for themselves—he couldn't tell them, he had to remain cryptic. They would know eventually; it was inevitable. They would know.

"That's a secret."

And out of the corner of his eye he saw her smug grin and knew that she knew what he meant.

She was on the same page, then, he thought. In that moment, they were both even as they watched the other two cluelessly tilt their heads.

––

"No matter how much magic you may have, hearts are hard to predict."

And he knew she understood this, too.

––

Stealth and secrecy have always been his longtime companions. Yes, he may intentionally reveal little fragments of himself here and there, allowing himself to be known in small parts, but overall, whatever he guarded was never seen by anyone on the outside. So what was going on that day when Sakura-san and Daidouji-san paid him one last visit before he left?

Sakura-san, he observed with a silent smirk, was clearly preoccupied. Her cheeks were flushed, her energy was focused elsewhere, and she was acting more withdrawn than usual. She knows now, he thought cheerfully, the boy has already told her how he feels. It won't be long before she begins to understand the advice he gave her the other day about people leaving her.

Kaho was running around the house, trying to find their gifts from England. When she returned, Sakura-san ran over eagerly to see what was going on and he simply grinned, highly amused at the situation.

"You watch Mizuki-sensei with kind eyes," a voice said behind him. He had forgotten she stayed behind when Sakura-san ran forward but she was right there beside him. Slowly, he turned around to face her, trying to suppress his look of momentary surprise.

"Now you have the kindest eyes," Daidouji-san noted. She looked genuine but he knew she was quietly challenging him, daring him to falter, just as she did with Li-kun a few weeks ago.

Unlike Li-kun though, he immediately smiled back. Stealth and secrecy was the key but somehow, he had let himself slip for the tiniest of seconds because he didn't bother to notice her.

"You truly do have amazing powers of observation," he replied.

Her eyes crinkled again in that all familiar sweet smile. What was behind that enigmatic grinning mask? They stood for a moment, simply smiling at each other; a moment that made him wonder about the thing that was slowly blossoming and growing. The competition, yes, but what more?

In the next second, however, the spell was broken by the voices of Kaho and Sakura-san. Daidouji's attention focused back onto Sakura-san instantly and he knew his suspicions about her to be true. But to bring it up right now, right then—that would be too cruel.

He didn't intend to water it, no. He never intended to water it, ever. After all, she was only a child.

And he? Well, that was complicated.

All he could think of in that moment instead was how secretly frustrated he was that she was now two points above him. Completely unacceptable.

* * *

-to be continued-

 **A/N** : Aw, yisss! Part one complete! Tomoyo is the best. So like I mentioned, part two will be post manga and will be coming soon to this fanfic near you. :)


	2. Catching Up

**A/N:** Hey guys, I've been having a lot of fun writing this, but as I'm going, it's starting to become a four chapter short story instead. So yay! More chapters and more fun. :) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own CCS or any of its characters as they belong to CLAMP.

* * *

 _ **"** **It looks like things are progressing in a way different from what I've been thinking. I'm having lots of fun as a result."**_ – Eriol Hiiragizawa

* * *

Master planner—now that was a quality he didn't think could be challenged. After all, Sakura-san couldn't have even _begun_ her transformation of the cards without his ingenuity and he knew it. So what nerve did _she_ have to suggest he was possibly not the best of the best?

After his departure from Japan, he had kept in touch with both Sakura-san and Daidouji-san through the occasional letter and the even much rarer visits. As time passed, however, their communication had slowed down considerably; but when he heard her melodic voice again ringing out in Japanese on the phone eight years later, he knew it meant business: master planning was about to be required and set into motion.

"So, tell me, to what do I owe this pleasure, Daidouji-san?"

"Good day, Hiiragizawa-kun. I have a plan," she said without preamble on the other line.

"Naturally," he chuckled. "But Daidouji-san, quite a long time has passed since I've last heard from you. Wouldn't it be polite to ask me how I am doing first?"

"There will be time for that later," she replied. "Trust me. I think we'll be seeing each other very, very soon."

"Careful, dear," he said with mock concern. "You don't want to be getting a young-old man's hopes up like that. One might think you actually really missed me."

"You're right, one might," she agreed, sounding worried. "And if that happens, then the other one might think the former one is extremely full of himself."

"Now, now," he chided. "You don't have to be embarrassed to admit you've missed me."

"You don't have to feel embarrassed if I don't," she said smoothly.

"That's still an 'if,'" he observed. He could feel her rolling her eyes and grinned to himself. He had missed this.

"Oh, get over yourself," she said. "Can we actually converse now like the civilized human beings we are?"

"A civilized human being might have asked me how I am doing first," he said genially, "instead of this unsophisticated manner in which you have imposed your objective upon me."

He heard silence on the other line and knew she was rolling her eyes again.

"Alright, Daidouji-san, go on, then," he said. "What is this plan you speak of that couldn't be communicated through the usual snail mail?"

"I found out that Li-kun is planning to propose sometime in the next month," she declared proudly.

"Ah," he smiled. He was glad the two lovebirds were finally about to take the next step in their relationship, but something about this situation just wasn't quite about to escape him. "Er—How do you know this? I'm assuming he didn't, shall we say, _willingly_ tell you."

"What ever do you mean, Hiiragizawa-kun?" she asked innocently. "I'm a little bit insulted by that assumption."

"Oh, I'm sorry. You're right. I suppose he did confide in you about his feelings prior to his confession, to which I give you all the credit for," he amended, bowing his head and twirling his hand subconsciously. "So it wouldn't be too far-fetched to think that he would be willing to confide in you automatically about something like this."

"You're assigning credit to the wrong skills, Hiiragizawa-kun," she contested. "On the contrary, he didn't confide in me at all."

"I see," he laughed, imagining his cute very-red-faced descendant spluttering while Daidouji-san remained sweet and smiling, guessing without any need for wordy exchange exactly what Li-kun planned to do. "So you teased him until he made it blatantly obvious for you?"

"Oh, no, wrong again," she chortled. "He has no idea at all that I know. Not a single clue."

"Of course he doesn't," he said, amused by this turn of events. A small twinge of envy nestled uncomfortably in his stomach. He liked Daidouji-san very much, but he could never help feeling slightly irritated at how good she was at seeing and knowing people—a feeling that hadn't ever been quite resolved since that fateful day eight years ago. He always thought he was a natural, not to mention he had magic, yet she relied solely on her own wits but somehow was still often able to exceed him in his own powers of observation. She was a true natural, and therefore a true equal as well. "Oh, all-knowing Daidouji-san, how do you do it?"

"Easy. I just sat back and observed," she said casually. "I've been noticing the difference in his interactions with Sakura-chan the last few months and confirmed it for myself when I saw him coming out of a ring shop, trying to be discreet. It was quite entertaining. I could send you the video if you'd like."

"Please do," he said. "So I'm guessing you have plans to er—enhance the proposal from the sidelines and therefore, you obviously had to call the Master Planner to help you inconspicuously tweak the finer aspects of the situation?"

"Wrong again," she said defiantly, " _I_ am the Master Planner."

"I beg your pardon," he challenged. "Are you not on an international call with _me_ asking _me_ for counsel?"

"You're merely going to be a pawn in my grandiose schemes," she said mysteriously. "I've got it all figured out already."

"Alright, Daidouji-san. You've got me all riled up," he said, daring her to top anything he could have come up with himself. "What did you have in mind, then?"

Forty minutes later, he hung up the phone and sunk deeper into his chair. He had to admit it; she won this round once again.

––

To break down and discover how exactly Daidouji-san worked, he would have to push some of her buttons. A cruel and regrettable act, perhaps, but he couldn't deny that he found her infinitely intriguing and complex. And with that intent in mind, he knocked on Sakura-san's front door.

"I'm so glad you came to visit, Eriol-kun!" Sakura-san exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. He was glad to see that her entire face was shining brightly with joy as she walked him through the doorway to the living room. She had certainly grown up despite the fact that she was still bursting with that same pure childlike energy. He genuinely hoped that nothing in the world would ever tarnish that about her.

"I wouldn't ever dream of missing a result of something I helped set in motion," he winked, pulling her hand up to admire the ring on her finger while Li-kun stood back stiffly with his arms crossed. "Especially not when it involves my cute little descendant."

"Now, now, I'd hate for you to walk away thinking you deserve all that credit," a voice said from behind.

Upon hearing those familiar silvery tones, he turned away from Li-kun's scowl, something he thought was definitely going to be the highlight of the evening—until he laid eyes on her. His breath hitched. He was convinced then that nothing else that could happen for the rest of the night including his cute descendant's displeasure could compete with the sight that now stood before him.

She was no longer a child. Those eight years that had passed had grown on her well. Daidouji Tomoyo was no less the vision of sheer beauty, with her long dark ebony hair enveloping her form and framing her face with effortless grace. She was wearing an elegant strapless lilac dress that brought out her sparkling amethyst eyes and her ears were adorned with pearls.

She extended her arm and he shook her hand, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Of course, Daidouji-san. Were you worried I had forgotten all about you?"

"Not at all," she grinned. "I know you wouldn't dare _dream_ of forgetting who _really_ was there to set things in motion."

"Of course not," he assured her, eyes glinting with enjoyment.

"We're all sorry Mizuki-sensei couldn't come," Sakura-san lamented.

"She's very sorry, too," he said, bowing his head toward her.

"She _will_ make it to the wedding, though, right?" she asked eagerly.

He looked into Sakura-san's pleading face and couldn't bring it in himself to give her any terrible news.

"You know Kaho," he said finally, "she would never let herself live if she missed something like that. Just make sure she gets an invite; it will absolutely delight her."

"Oh, good!" she sighed in relief, holding her hand to her heart. "I'm glad."

"Sakura-chan, let me see it!" said a voice to the left. Before Sakura-san knew it, Chiharu Mihara had grabbed her hand and held it up to her face.

Allowing Sakura-san and Li-kun to be dragged off, Eriol remained behind and continued to observe. Daidouji-san was smiling the entire time, but there was something solemn in the way she did so when she thought no one was looking. It seemed that everyone but him was currently too preoccupied with the newly engaged couple to have even noticed. But then again, even if they were paying attention, not many people would have spotted or known the difference because Daidouji-san never revealed anything of herself for the common person to compare her differing behaviors with.

Fortunately for him, he was no common person.

Currently, as his memory was sharp as ever and he never would let himself forget such a thing, Daidouji-san was still two points above him and now that he was back here again after years had passed with no ulterior motives, he was determined to finally break even.

"I couldn't help but notice," he coughed quietly, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes, "that not everyone here is thoroughly enjoying the festivities."

"What do you mean?" she asked, staying completely calm. They were both facing forward, observing the rest of the party, and Eriol couldn't help but think how typical it was for both of them to stand back and watch from a distance because their internal worlds were something the naked eye could not see.

He promptly leaned over towards her and whispered in her ear.

"I think you know exactly what I mean."

"No," she said simply, turning away from him. "I don't."

"Someone who, no matter how much they try, can't fully be happy for Sakura-san," he intoned.

She remained silent.

He was amazed with himself sometimes; amazed at how cruel he could be and how he could live with himself afterwards. It definitely would have been too cruel if he had brought it up in the past when she was still a child, but even though it was hardly better to bring it up now, he knew she was old enough to handle it. And aside from wanting to break even, he wanted to shatter her façade, to break into her wall and see a glimpse of the real Daidouji-san that she kept so tightly hidden under layers and layers of Mona Lisa smiles. He was determined. He wanted to water it now—whatever _it_ was that blossomed so long ago.

"How does it make you feel, Daidouji-san?" he asked loftily.

"How does what make me feel, exactly?" she asked modestly.

"To love someone that you cannot have?" he said seriously.

She turned her head to finally look him directly in the eye and he saw, for the first time, something burning behind those pretty amethyst orbs.

"I should be asking _you_ ," she said. The feigned innocence was gone. The sweet melodic tone was gone. Instead, there was a subtle yet fierce accusation in her voice.

"Me?" he asked. _She's bluffing_ , he thought. "Ask me what?"

"What happened with Mizuki-sensei? Why don't you explain why she couldn't come?"

Oh, she _didn't_ , he thought as he allowed his mild look of surprise to linger. He had no reason to hide himself behind mysterious smiles this time if he was to be playing this game with her. He was speechless at the way she completely flipped the tables on him but he didn't have to ask her how she knew. No doubt, she had noticed simply because of who she is.

Eventually, he replaced his intensely curious gaze with a small impassive smile.

"My apologies. I shouldn't pry. Shall we say truce?" he asked, holding out his hand. Both parties would leave here unscathed but none the wiser.

"You bet we will," she said threateningly, shaking his hand firmly. He could get used to this less-delicate Daidouji Tomoyo.

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura-san's voice rang out. Within the next second, she was beside them and completely oblivious to the tension, which they had both hid from her immediately. "It's time to eat the strawberry cake you made for us!"

"Of course, Sakura-chan," she responded, all smiles again. She was completely back to her normal self as though nothing had happened to faze her at all. "Would you like to do the honors of cutting it?"

And for the rest of the night, she showed no signs of sharing more than a few words with him.

––

After the engagement party, he never reached out to her again, deciding he had no real reason to and therefore didn't want to initiate anything nor show that his interest in her was in any way growing. He figured there would be other chances to up his own game and sure enough, months later, he decided the perfect opportunity would be to plan a bachelor party for Li-kun. He was looking forward to an excuse to talk to her, and of course, to discuss ways of embarrassing his cute descendant.

"Moshi moshi?" she greeted through the phone.

"Good evening, Daidouji-san," he answered, checking his watch to confirm the time in Japan.

"Good morning, Hiiragizawa-kun," she said, immediately business-like. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I have a plan," he said, mimicking the simple fashion in which she had said it to him months back.

"Those are usually my words," she countered. "But alright. Let's hear the worst, then."

"You wound me, Daidouji-san," he said, feigning shock and offense. "How could you ever say such a thing?"

"Because it's you," she explained simply.

"Fair enough, fair enough," he sighed airily. He wondered if she was still angry with him about his bold intimations to her about Sakura-san at the engagement party or if she had forgiven him because he called truce. Either way, she seemed to be pretending that none of it had ever happened. "A little less than your usual sweet self today, are you?"

"Just tell me the plan," she said, cutting across him. He raised an eyebrow but decided against questioning or teasing her further.

"First of all, are you or are you not thinking of doing a bachelorette event for Sakura-san?"

"You wouldn't be invited," she stated flatly.

"I am aware of that," he said. "That's not why I'm asking, but _how dare you_?"

She laughed in her usual ringing melodic tones. He smiled in spite of himself.

"I'm assuming your plan has to do with the bachelor party then?" she asked.

"Yes," he said carefully. "How would you feel about having both events on the same weekend?"

"Why?" she asked suspiciously.

Thirty minutes later after Daidouji-san surprisingly agreed with him and his plans, which mostly involved kidnapping, paintballing, a sumo match, a cigar lounge, and a sex shop, he hung up the phone, feeling smug.

"What's with that face, Eriol?" he heard Spinel Sun say from the doorway as he flew in. After flying nearer and eyeing him more closely, Spinel faltered. "Oh, no. I know that look."

"Whatever do you mean, Spinel?" Eriol asked, fully aware that his creation had no doubt seen the malevolent glint in his eyes.

"You're planning something else that you haven't told her, aren't you?"

"The element of surprise is a necessary component of success in high-strung situations such as marriage," he said very seriously. "That's what bachelor parties are for more or less, wouldn't you say?"

"So basically she wouldn't have approved?"

He smirked in response. He was excited that Daidouji-san had already agreed to his plans, the ones that he'd shared with her anyway. She didn't need to know there were a few other tricks up his sleeve that he was plotting for Syaoran's weekend that he fully intended on keeping as a surprise.

He repositioned himself in a more comfortable position in his chair and lit a cigar, delighting in the fact that he had most certainly just won himself a point. _You wait, Daidouji-san_ , he thought. He was catching up.

* * *

-to be continued-


	3. Breaking Even

**A/N:** Sorry this chapter took so long. I did zero writing over Thanksgiving break and it ended up being a lot longer than I anticipated. I apologize in advance if it sounds rushed. I tried not to make it feel that way, but I also began to realize I was trying to fit so much deep conversation into one chapter because I really want to keep the four chapter theme as opposed to turning it into something longer. I hope it works out for readers on the receiving end anyhow. I also decided not to write in detail about certain other things surrounding the story because I wanted to focus so much more on Eriol and Tomoyo's relationship and leave those things more vague and on the sidelines. Hope you enjoy regardless. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters!

––

" _ **My heart timidly hides itself behind my mind. I set out to bring down the stars from the sky, then, for fear of ridicule, I stop and pick little flowers of eloquence."  
**_ – "Cyrano de Bergerac" by Edmond Rostand

––

His eyes followed her as she stealthily slipped out of the dimly lit room, unnoticed by everyone but him. Everyone else was deeply absorbed in the moment, engrossed in each other's presence as their extremely eventful evening—thanks to himself—dwindled down to end at the karaoke bar, both bachelorette and bachelor party having merged together at this last point. Sakura-san and poor Xiao Lang were pressured into singing a duet to "A Whole New World" while everyone clamored around them, humming along.

Daidouji-san had held herself up the entire day quite admirably he thought. She kept up her smiling facade and supported Sakura-san wholeheartedly. But despite all that, he still heard small hints of her sorrow in the song she sang right before she left. She always looked angelic when she sang, especially tonight in her shimmering navy blue dress and her hair done up in an elegant bun. He had forgotten how beautiful her voice was—so silky, so smooth, yet also so… _raw_.

He would look for her soon after, he thought, when he felt he was allowed to excuse himself from the party. Besides, he still had a few points to be catching up with.

––

"I thought I'd find you here."

She looked up from her drink, startled, and turned to face him. After realizing who it was, she narrowed her eyes.

"You were following me the entire time?"

"I may have cheated a little," he admitted, sitting down on the seat next to her at the bar and draping his suit jacket over his chair. He flashed her a charming smile and straightened his glasses. "Beautiful weather outside tonight, isn't it?"

"So you used your magic to stalk me?" she asked, ignoring his attempts at lightening the mood.

"Ah, yes. I thought you seemed upset that I used magic earlier today," he said, his smile faltering slightly.

"Just a bit…" she said sourly. "I felt a sense of déjà vu when Sakura-chan tensed up and said she needed to find Li-kun. Then I knew you must have done something—and don't laugh like that or I'll smack that smug smile off your face."

"It was just a bit of fun for old times' sake. Completely harmless," he said, holding his hands up in defense. When she continued to look angry, his expression softened. "Okay. I'm sorry, Daidouji-san. Really, I am."

"As you should be," she said disdainfully, crossing her arms.

"No, really," he insisted, bowing his head. "I can see that I've upset you and I'm very sorry about it."

He watched her closely as she sighed and fished for the cherry that had sunk to the bottom of her drink. He sensed that her distress was stemming mostly from the déjà vu feeling she described. If the events of the night had happened in the past when they were still kids, he wondered if she might've been amused at his little tricks and possibly even played along, back when they were all still young and innocent and carefree. But now—now she was neither of those things and he could now see how brittle her soul had become. In a strange way though, rather than making her seem more weak and cowardly, her brokenness only more fully enhanced her beauty and intrigue.

Looking up, she fixed her gaze on him again in annoyance.

"Why'd you follow me here?"

"I saw you leave early, so I decided to come check up on you," he shrugged. "I'm sure Sakura-san might be wondering why her maid-of-honor left without saying goodbye."

"She won't be," she said scornfully, leaning her chin morosely on the palm of her hand. "She'll be fast asleep with Kero-chan tucking her into bed after having such an exciting yet exhausting evening and dreaming about her wedding coming up in two weeks, which will no doubt be her perfect fairy tale dream come true because she's marrying the love of her life. She's happy and she will continue to be happy, because Li-kun will see to that, and that's enough to keep me happy."

"But you're not happy," he said, watching as she swirled the remainder of her gin around in her glass. She continued to stare down at her drink and refused to respond for a few minutes.

"I thought we agreed on a truce," she finally said, stubbornly avoiding the topic and refusing to meet his dark eyes. This was a good sign, he thought, because she was not denying anything, just merely avoiding. It meant they had progressed past the obstacle of her putting up false pretenses, although a glass of gin had probably helped the matter considerably.

"We did," he agreed. "But, forgive me, Daidouji-san—I just couldn't resist. You're far too fascinating of a person for me to ignore, love. For a piece of your mind, I'd be willing to make some significant trades on my part."

"Don't pretend to hit on me, Hiiragizawa-kun," she said rolling her eyes. "It's not going to work."

"Who says I'm pretending?"

"What on earth makes you think I'm so 'fascinating' as you put it, then?" she demanded. "And why would you follow me here when I'm sure you know I came here to be alone?"

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much," he said as he waved the bartender down. "It's clear from your demeanor that we're going to need much more alcohol," then turning to the bartender, asked, "Excuse me, sir, could we have a bottle of the Sauvignon?"

"A _bottle_?" she exclaimed, surprised. "Do you expect me to stay here with you for the next hour?"

"The lady doth protest too much," he repeated. "And no, love, I expect you to stay with me all night."

She glared at him as he thanked the bartender for the bottle and began pouring her a glass.

"You know my Mother's bodyguards will pick me up whenever I call?" she asked conversationally.

"Come, now, don't tell me you aren't enjoying this," he insisted, putting on his best Cheshire cat smile and raising his own glass of wine to her. He refused to back down from her piercing glare and they sat there for a moment, her glowering at him and him gazing at her with keen interest. Eventually, she raised her glass and, looking as though she was doing it against her better judgment, clinked it against his.

"Oh, very well. To insanity and regrets in the morning then," she said sardonically, and with that, drained the entire glass of wine.

"Slow down, or I might have to order another bottle to convince you to stay," he laughed, taking a swig of his own glass. "If you can last past the first bottle, that is."

"Don't underestimate me," she said. Then, holding her glass out to him, commanded, "Another," to which he refilled her cup graciously.

"So," she began. "Since you have suddenly and without warning annulled our previous agreement of truce, you're obliged to answer my questions truthfully. What makes me so 'fascinating' to the reincarnation of Clow Reed when people like Sakura-chan are in this town? And more interestingly, what really happened between you and Mizuki-sensei?"

"Do mine ears deceive me?" Eriol asked. "The lady has extended an invitation for questions and answers?"

"I won't promise any answers on my end as you were the one who initiated the nullification," she said defensively.

"I'm not quite sure it works that way you see, because you are the one agreeing to the questioning process," he informed her.

"Shut up and talk," she said rather aggressively. He raised an eyebrow, mildly impressed but thoroughly enjoying this departure from her usual calm and collected sweet self.

"Alright, Daidouji-san, you asked for it. Prepare to reveal your soul to me by the end of tonight," he said confidently. If he succeeded in peeling back her layers one by one, he thought excitedly, he would award himself with a point by the end of what was looking to be an interesting interrogation session.

"So let's start with this then. What happened with Mizuki-sensei?" she urged him.

Judging by the severe manner in which she was scrutinizing him, he resigned to telling her the truth. He had come far enough, which meant that they were already past the looking glass at this point. He let out a loud sigh and met her expectant violet eyes.

"There will not be a simple explanation," he began.

"I can't even imagine," she droned mercilessly. "Go on."

He drained his glass of wine and poured himself another.

"First of all, I'm curious to know. What are your thoughts about Kaho from the time that you knew her?"

She looked up at the ceiling and pondered his question thoughtfully before responding.

"Hmm, well I remember that Sakura-chan was very taken by her but Li-kun was very suspicious of her. It was amusing to me at the time, but I also knew Mizuki-sensei's intentions were pure because I could tell she cared for Sakura-chan and watched her with kind eyes. I didn't blame Sakura-chan for being taken with her. She definitely had a certain mystique about her, though not quite the same as the kind you have," she paused for a moment to think some more, drinking her wine as she did so. "Something that's always struck me about her is that…she always seems to just _know_ things and once she knows them, she's very certain about them."

"I also knew she had some history with Sakura-chan's brother, which I must admit feels strange, but I also knew it wasn't my place to judge—which was the same course of action I took when I noticed something was going on between you two as well. Love comes in many forms and I'm not one to dispute that."

"Observant and insightful as ever. I wouldn't have expected any less from you," he said, raising his glass and toasting her. "It's true, Kaho is always very certain about what she knows, even if it doesn't make sense to others—those are the circumstances in which that tendency of hers is especially infuriating."

"Is that why she left you?" she asked tentatively.

"In short, yes," he confirmed. "And funny you should mention Sakura-san's brother because she told me the same thing she told him when she left the relationship. How she didn't think we were right for each other and was convinced I would find someone else I would love the most."

"Damn," she let out a low whistle. "I'm guessing you didn't accept it as readily as Touya-san did?"

"Correct, again," he acknowledged. "It was tricky. I thought that given the amount of time we'd been together, she would have given a more satisfactory reason as the basis for break-up, yet on the other hand, given the amount of time we'd been together, she thought that I should have known her well enough to understand her completely."

"But you're a sorcerer and you both have magic," she said, thinking out loud. "So… _wouldn't_ you understand?"

"I did understand in a sense," he agreed. "But I didn't want to accept it."

"I don't think the two are mutually exclusive," she contradicted. "Not when you're talking about full and complete understanding, anyway."

"So you've fully accepted the fact that Sakura-san cannot love you the way you love her?" he countered.

"Actually—yes. Yes, I do," she said firmly.

"And would your answer be the same if she _did_ love you that way, but then decided to leave you anyway?"

"To be honest, I think I would," she said after a thought. He stared carefully into her eyes and saw that she genuinely believed what she said.

"Can you _really_ be so sure though?" he asked skeptically. "Despite how insightful you may be, your lack of experience, I'm sorry to say, might impair your judgment in certain areas. You wouldn't know because you haven't tasted. Ironic, isn't it, because we're talking about full and complete understanding? Don't be so sure you would accept it so easily if the same happened to you."

"Oh, so because I have no experience, that invalidates everything I think and feel on the matter?" she said angrily, glaring at him with the same fierce glow she had shown at the engagement party. She placed her hands on the counter and made to stand up but he quickly grabbed her arm.

"I'm sorry, Daidouji-san, I didn't mean it like that," he said calmly, willing her to stay. "I'm sure you feel exactly the way you feel and there's nothing wrong with that. However, we must be open and consider the possibilities of the different ways of how you _might_ actually feel had you experienced what I've experienced. I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to invalidate your feelings, but merely pointing out that you cannot be so certain about yourself in my situation when you haven't been me."

"But you don't think my answer qualifies?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Alright, sorry. Perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps you have more emotional finesse and a much larger capacity for love than I ever can hope to have. Perhaps you really would accept it no matter how much you loved the person. In that case, can you also accept my apology?"

"Okay, fine." she said defeatedly, seating herself back down. "But with what you're saying, it's basically impossible to fully understand everyone in that case. And if Mizuki-sensei really felt the way she did, you had to accept it regardless."

"You're right," he said. "I had to. But I didn't have a choice."

"Neither do I."

"Well, let's hear it then," he urged her.

"What?"

"Your turn. How do you really feel about Sakura-san getting married?"

"It's the same mantra. Nothing has changed. I want her to be happy, so if she is—and she will be, because it's Li-kun—I have nothing more to want," she replied. When she saw his doubtful expression, she opened her mouth to speak again.

"Look. I told Li-kun before he confessed that some feelings are better left unsaid. I truly believe that about myself. But I told him so because I knew it would prompt him to realize he couldn't leave his feelings unacknowledged and I knew Sakura-chan loved him before she realized herself. As much as it pained me, I knew they were a perfect match and that he could make her happy. But for me, some feelings really are better left unsaid because I can only love her from afar. If I told her, I would lose her completely. And in blessing Li-kun forward, I essentially saw it as me giving him both our feelings to pass on to her. So like I said, I have nothing more to want."

"How do you know?" he asked.

"Know what?"

"How would you know that you'd lose her completely?" he amended. "You haven't tried telling her so you couldn't fully know. Perhaps she'd still be your friend. Isn't that the kind of person Sakura-san is?"

"Yes, but…" she trailed off into silence, biting her lip. More to distract herself than anything, she continued to sip her wine as she contemplated the matter. "I think that I've just always been content with the type of friendship we have now and I don't want it to change."

"But it could be better," he argued. "Maybe your friendship would benefit from the openness and the honesty would just strengthen your bond. You have no idea how she would really respond."

She shook her head and looked down. "Maybe. But even if it did strengthen our bond, I still feel like it would be a burden to her regardless and I wouldn't want her to pretend or act a certain way to me just because she didn't want to hurt me."

"Well, that's not for you to decide, is it? And you're friends aren't you?" he pointed out.

"I don't know, don't ask me things like that," she said, sounding stressed and withdrawing into herself. "Mizuki-sensei was open and honest with you, but look where that turned up."

He considered her for a moment and then laughed. "I guess we can't win, can we? Although to be fair, that is precisely why our bond was much stronger and was therefore more painful to separate. But, yes, in the end, you and I both took a loss. Look at us—commiserating together. I must admit this is something I hadn't foreseen. In fact, there are many things about you that I haven't foreseen."

"Like what?" she asked dubiously.

"Well, I suppose it's not so much that I didn't foresee things as much as you simply surprise me from time to time with your complexity and your actions. And it appears I am now answering your next question: what makes you complex?"

She made a noise somewhere between a snort and a scoff.

"Did I say something unsatisfactory?" he asked, mildly surprised at this strange reaction and giving her a questioning look.

"It sounds rather hard to believe," she said disparagingly, to which he had opened his mouth to protest, but she put up a finger to silence him. "The only reason I am able to surprise you is because you don't actually expect me to. You don't expect me to be complex. And the reason you don't expect me to be complex is because I don't have magic—the confidence you show in us ordinary human beings."

"No, I don't think so," he disagreed, staring thoughtfully at her. "On the contrary, I'd show a lot less confidence in you if you did have magic because then your complexity would be harder to distinguish as wholly from your own self. Believe me when I say that your being complex has nothing to do with having or not having magic. Sakura-san, bless her soul, now has a great deal of magic, but I don't expect her to be more complex for it. In fact, she was chosen because she had such a pure and simple heart. It doesn't make her a dull person by any means, but the essence of who she is hardly ever hidden the way yours is. And the more work it takes to seek what is hidden, the more rewarding the object is. Now, your claim may have been true when you surprised me for the first time in our little classroom back in Tomoeda Elementary—"

"Which time was that?" she interrupted. "Remind me."

"Really? You don't remember?" he asked. She looked at him expectantly. "Alright. I was watching you when you were watching Sakura-san and I came up behind you making a comment about how you watch her with kind eyes, and you said—"

"Same as you, Hiiragizawa-kun," she said, mimicking the exact same sweet voice she had used all those years ago. She laughed at his expression.

"I just wanted to hear you admit that you were spying on me and that I successfully threw you off guard as an eleven year old," she said deviously.

"Do rub it in, why don't you, Daidouji-san?" he said. "I almost think I shouldn't be complimenting you anymore."

" _Almost_ ," she said emphatically. "But tell me. How can you say I'm complex or fascinating when you don't really even know me?"

"Don't I, Daidouji-san?" he challenged, refilling his glass and taking another drink. "Alright, let's see. From the time that you were eleven, I noticed, as I mentioned before, the way you looked at Sakura-san. I thought, then, that I had seen the extent of your feelings and emotions. I thought that I had seen the full scope of how you love. But as it turns out, I was wrong. The magnitude of how you feel and love runs much deeper than I thought and even now, I'm realizing I still haven't seen the full extent of it. And I wonder if perhaps no one will ever see the full extent of it, not even yourself."

"You'd be a fool not to see it, Daidouji-san," he continued. "You're one complex person. And it's because of the choices you make, the capacity for not only a wide range of feelings, but feelings that run deeper than the naked eye can see—there's an air of mystery about you because of what you show and what you hide. Even your masks have masks and at the end of the day, I think some of your masks aren't really even masks, and it's not as easy to differentiate as I would have thought."

"Sorry? Explain what you mean by the masks," she said uncertainly.

"Well," he said. "There's the fact that you talk and act in selfless ways. One would think your selflessness is only a mask to cover how you really feel. You claim that as long as Sakura-san is happy, you would be too. But with you, you genuinely want that happiness for her. I've seen countless people who only ever did selfless things for selfish reasons, but you're an outlier. Do you have any idea how rare it is to find someone who genuinely strives to be purely and completely selfless, acting above and beyond their own desires? As long as Sakura-san is happy, you will be happy, though you won't _really_ be happy, but you really do care and put others before you. So in the end, even if you end up lonely, you wouldn't trade it for her happiness. It's a mask you wear,—and you have layers and layers of masks—yet they are all wholly you at the same time. And to think that you are able to contain all of that underneath the surface…I have no other word for it. It's quite amazing."

A long silence followed his words as he watched her evaluate his statements. She drank more wine and stared with unfocused eyes at a mirror hanging on the wall of the bar.

"I don't think I am selfless or amazing," she said quietly.

"Why not?" he prompted.

She remained quiet momentarily as she tried to carefully string her thoughts into words. "After you pointed out that I didn't have a real reason not to tell Sakura-chan, I'm starting to wonder if I'm just…weak, and too much of a coward to face the idea that I actually _have_ desires."

"What do you desire, then?" he asked. She looked down and wrung her fingers together in silent frustration. "If you were completely and shamelessly honest with yourself, what do you _really_ want, love?"

They sat in another long silence for a few minutes as he patiently waited for her to respond. The bottle of wine now sat empty next to them. She seemed to be withdrawing further and further into her own world as she thought about his question and her expression became grave. She stayed in her pensive state for a while; her eyes were glossy and unfocused as she absentmindedly continued to sip her drink. Finally, reemerging from the depths of her mind and looking as though she had come to a conclusion, she finished the last of her wine in one gulp and stood up from her seat.

"What I want—is to leave and go home," she announced.

"What?" he said in surprise. "Wait a minute—"

She attempted to grab her peacoat off her chair but lost her balance and nearly stumbled in the process.

"Careful, Daidouji," he said as he stood up to catch her. The sudden abruptness in which she stood up, he guessed, must have caused her head to whirl. "Where do you think you're going?"

" _Home_ , I said," she repeated fuzzily. "I want to go home."

"Okay, okay," he said softly. "Let me help you there."

Seeing as she wasn't in a fit state to argue, he grabbed his suit jacket, left a tip at the counter and supported her weight with his other arm. Unable to protest, she allowed herself to wrap an arm around his waist. The scent of honey lavender filled his nose as she leaned feebly against his shoulder. He couldn't help smirking inwardly at the notion that he seemed to have touched a nerve even though she hadn't produced an honest answer…yet.

"It appears you've overestimated yourself," he chuckled lightly as he walked her outside.

"Shut up," she mumbled drowsily into his chest. "I just really didn't want to waste good wine and I would have felt even more terrible because you paid for it so I just had to finish it and end the night so you could just leave me alone and I wouldn't have to—whoops—sorry, now I'm rambling."

"An admirable sacrifice," he quipped. "One you needn't have taken. I assure you, you won't be able to get rid of me that easily."

"Shhhh, don't talk to me right now," she murmured irritably.

"As you wish," he complied.

He hailed down a cab and they were headed to her house. Grateful for being able to sit down again, she rested her head on his shoulder and nearly fell asleep. He watched her as she breathed slowly; stray strands of hair were falling casually out of her now loosening bun and he couldn't help thinking how much he liked how vulnerable she looked when she wasn't awake and alert. Asleep, she looked so delicate, so fragile, and the hard impenetrable shell of put-togetherness that she usually wore faded away to reveal a truly beautiful pearl.

Smiling slightly, he rested his cheek against the top of her head and continued to breathe in the sweet scent of honey lavender.

––

"We're here," he said, prodding her gently.

She stirred and opened her eyes sluggishly. Taking his outstretched hand, she allowed him to pull her out of the car.

"Thank you," she said groggily as they walked up to the front gates of her mansion. He had never been here before and, upon seeing the large gardens and house all enclosed inside high brick walls on all sides, reflected that it must have been an interesting childhood for her to grow up in such luxury. He maintained a safe distance behind her as she approached her home but when she reached the gates' push-button on the wall, she stopped and paused there, unmoving.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. He took a few steps closer to see what her hold up was. She was merely standing there, staring at her massive place of residence and looking as though she was wrestling internally with herself.

"Daidouji—?"

"To be free," she said at last. "That's my real answer to your question. What I want—I just want…to be free. My whole life, I've been raised like a songbird in a cage. Sometimes, everything I do or feel or say just feels like a result of that and I'm stuck with all of this because I haven't known any other way. I don't feel like I can be free to express my song outside of these bars that have been holding me back my whole life."

He stepped up even closer behind her and tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder. She didn't turn around but he felt her shaking slightly and knew she was trying not to cry.

"You don't have to hide from me," he said. She inhaled deeply and let out a long weary sigh as though she had been holding it in for years and slowly turned around to face him.

He studied her face closely; her amethyst eyes were glistening but other than this, she showed no sign of tears. She really was beautiful in a way—in a very, _very_ different way from Kaho, but beautiful nonetheless. Kaho was regal and majestic, with her own magic to support her. Tomoyo, on the other hand, was more simple and sincere without any magic of her own; yet upon closer inspection beneath her many layers, she really had a hidden beauty that was pure of heart.

"I don't think I've ever known what it feels like to be free," she whispered, her lips trembling. She looked wide-eyed and frightened but somehow this further show of vulnerability only exposed her beauty even more.

 _In a way_ , he continued to reflect, the nature of her beauty being so hidden made it all the more valuable once he took the time to search and uncover it.

He couldn't help himself from thinking it, but this was the moment that he earned himself a point. He smiled and reached out a hand to stroke her cheeks softly.

"You have the power to free yourself, you know," he said. "And you are one of the strongest people I've met in this life."

"You really mean that?" she asked, choking on her last word. When he nodded, the tears began to fall. Even when crying, she looked like a delicate porcelain doll.

"You know, Tomoyo," he said, tucking a strand of falling hair back behind her ear, "it's okay to fight for your own happiness sometimes."

She hiccupped when he used her first name and was momentarily so stunned she had stopped crying. Her eyes bored into his and her lips continued to tremble. He traced a thumb over her bottom lip to let her know he could feel her fears. Something was blossoming indeed, he thought, as he leaned in closer.

"So how 'bout it?" he asked, inches away from her face. He could feel her quivering breath on his lips. "Set yourself free."

Her eyes changed right before his—from helpless fear to blazing determination. She grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him in, closing the space between them. Her lips were even softer than he had expected, yet there was a mild fierceness in the way she kissed him that told him she was not accepting his challenge half-heartedly. Extremely pleased with her ambitious nature, he responded in equal measure. He nibbled gently on her bottom lip and felt her mouth open at once. Her tongue and lips moved against his incessantly and he followed her with increasing eagerness. Her hands gripped his collar even more tightly, his hands moved from her neck to her waist, their pace was quickening and—

Just as suddenly as it had started, it was over. She broke apart still leaning her forehead against his, both of them panting for breath. He saw the last of her blazing look linger for a moment before it extinguished and faded away behind those dark eyes and became dormant once more.

"That was—" he began hoarsely.

"Something that'll never happen again," she finished. He could see that her pupils were still dilated and her breathing was only just beginning to slow, but her tone of voice had become stony and emotionless. Letting go of his shirt collar, she turned away to the push-button box and entered in the passcode for the gate to open. Turning to face him one last time without smiling, she muttered, "Goodnight, Hiiragizawa. And um, thanks for taking me home."

He watched her walk towards her house and, touching a finger to his lips, grinned to himself. Whatever she said, he felt he deserved another point for that, which meant in his mind, they were tied. This made him realize two things. One, that he had been hoping for something like that to happen all along, and two—that kiss made all the effort he exerted to break her open totally and completely worth it.

––

-to be continued-


	4. Tiebreaker

A/N: Hey all, I'm so sorry this took so long. Had lots of things on my plate. But I finally forced myself to finish this! It was kind of hard to write because let's be real... wedding stuff is boring if the married couple is not the main focus. So sorry if it feels like I jumped a lot from scene to scene. It's not the best but at the same time, I'm really happy about finishing this. :) Thanks to everyone who reviewed or supported me. I love you all.

Characters do not belong to me, but to CLAMP!

––

 _ **"** **The thing people know least is themselves, especially their hearts."**_ – Tomoyo Daidouji

––

A few days had passed and nothing so far: no response, no acknowledgement of anything out of the ordinary having happened—nothing. He ran through in his head over and over the possibilities of what she could be thinking and what he could do to figure it out.

"I need to break that tie we have going on now anyways," he told Spinel one night three days later, sitting in his favorite armchair and looking up at the stars outside his windows. "I am close to having the upper hand."

"At this point, is it really about winning the game, Eriol?" Spinel asked skeptically.

"Of course, Spinel!" he maintained, trying to look offended. The creature merely rolled his eyes unconvinced.

"I think winning is important!" Nakuru chimed in. "I fully support you, Eriol!"

"There's no telling how long this game will go on for," Spinel pointed out. "If you stay friends—or more, seeing the way you're going, you'll be playing this game forever."

"That wouldn't be such a bad thing, would it?" Eriol grinned. He delighted in the fact that Daidouji was so good at his own game. It was a weird combination that seemed to work out perfectly in his mind: being in love with someone who could play back harder. Perhaps they _could_ be playing the game for the rest of their lives. And what other way would he want to live? "What do you guys think? Would you be opposed to that?"

"I think a better question would be if _she_ can handle _us_ , and by _us_ , I mean Nakuru," Spinel said.

"Pfft. Anyone can handle me—everyone loves me!" Nakuru exclaimed as Spinel made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. "And I heard that!"

"Spinel has a point. Sakura's brother running the opposite direction from you might just disprove your previous statement," Eriol said, amused.

"Whatever! He's an exception!" she said merrily.

The phone rang just then and Eriol waved a hand at them to silence them. Nakuru bounced out of the room while Spinel followed lazily. He turned his attention back to the phone. It would be naïve to hope it was Tomoyo, but he entertained the thought briefly anyway before answering.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Eriol-kun! Sakura here." Well, at least he wasn't too terribly disappointed.

"Good evening, Sakura-san. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Ano—I know this is really, really last minute, and I feel bad asking because I would have wanted you to just be able to sit back and enjoy the wedding as a guest but…the pianist we originally had for the ceremony had a family emergency and has to be out of the country this whole week, so I was wondering if you could potentially be our pianist instead?"

"Ah, I see," he replied amicably. "Well, of course, especially since it's for your wedding, I will be more than happy to assist you on your special day."

"Really?" Sakura asked excitedly. "Thank you so much, Eriol-kun! I wasn't sure if it would be a bother especially because you only have a week to find time to practice—"

"That won't be a problem at all," he assured her. "As you already know, I have been playing the piano for more years than I've been alive."

"Arigatou, Eriol-kun! I trust you will sound magnificent," she said cheerfully.

"Thank you, Sakura-san. I would be honored to play for you," he said.

"Okay, I'll give you all the details later—oh!—one more thing," she said breathlessly. Eriol had the impression that she was in a rush. "For the song specifically before the vows, I asked Tomoyo-chan to sing the accompaniment so you guys should practice together!"

His ears perked up immediately. _Tomoyo-chan? The accompaniment?_

"Oh," he said, trying to keep his voice sounding cool and detached. "And er—she said yes?"

"Yeah, I felt bad asking her too, especially because she's already my maid of honor, but then I thought it might be a really nice addition because I remembered you two singing and playing together back in fifth grade and I thought it was really pretty!"

"Ah, well, if she has no objections then of course we will practice together." Cue the infamous smirk.

"Thanks, Eriol-kun. I'm sure everything will be alright!" _Oh, Sakura-san. So sweetly oblivious._ "Anyway, I have to go to my final alterations appointment with Tomoyo-chan, so I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Goodbye, then," he said before hanging up and sitting back in the chair with his elbows leaning on the armrests, fingertips touching. This could be fun.

"So what was it?" Spinel-sun's voice spoke from the door. He flew back into the room and landed on the armchair behind Eriol.

"Master is sitting in his plotting pose," said Nakuru who had slipped in after Spinel. "It must be good news."

"I'm going to have a lot of fun practicing for the piano performance for Sakura's wedding," he replied with the usual mischievous glint in his eye.

––

What with last minute appointments and finalization of all the last minute details, two days before the wedding turned out to be the only time they could practice. He heard the doorbell ring at two o'clock sharp and looked out the window. There she was, standing there at his front door, in a casual dress and red cardigan. He would let Nakuru answer the door. It would probably loosen her up before he had her all to himself for the rest of the afternoon. He smirked and turned to head downstairs.

"Is it true that you designed Sakura-chan's wedding dress?"

The sounds of Nakuru ambushing the poor girl with chatter traveled to his staircase. He heard Tomoyo's usual cheery giggle and a witty response, then the door shut behind them.

"Good afternoon, Daidouji-san," he greeted pleasantly, coming into view of his foyer. She stood there with complete calm; he was unsure how to read her. Her pale, graceful face betrayed no strange emotions and her amethyst eyes were kind and courteous as usual.

"Hi," she said simply. Her mouth stretched into a small smile that automatically lifted Eriol's spirits and made him realize he would do quite a lot to keep that smile there.

"Shall we?" he gestured to the room where his piano resided in. She nodded and walked in first.

"Did Sakura-chan tell you what she wanted us to perform?" she asked.

"She emailed me," he replied, taking his seat at the piano and placing his hands on the keys. He began fingering simple random melody born out of basic chords and confident ease. "I hope you didn't take up this responsibility simply because Sakura-san asked you to?"

Tomoyo was a force to be reckoned with, Eriol thought as he studied her reaction then. She propped an elbow on the piano's ledge and her previously docile expression shifted into a warning glare and one of her eyebrows rose like a dare. "You're toeing a fine line there, Hiiragizawa-kun."

"Shall we warm up first, then?" he asked pleasantly. He was quite amused, really. Toeing the line and crossing it were completely different things after all—and besides, crossing the line had been his objective all along.

Leaning over to eye him closely, she hissed, "You bet." He thought he caught a shadow of a laugh in her eyes but in the next moment, it was gone. Their faces were close. He caught the scent of lavender and honey before she pulled away and stood up straight again.

"Start with the arpeggios," she commanded unflinchingly. He raised an eyebrow in suspicion but obliged, starting on middle C. Something had definitely changed about her.

He decided to keep her word and not cross the line—for now. They consequently spent an exceptionally good afternoon practicing together, both simply enjoying that third impartial and objective party: music. Words didn't need to be exchanged for them to both know that they shared an adoration for music that exceeded any conflict or awkwardness they could have had. It made it hard to perceive whether her complete ease and joy came from the music only, or if it had really come from herself as well. Was she still feeling tension over Sakura and the music was just hiding it? Or did she really feel as free as she looked? Eriol genuinely hoped it was the latter, for her laughter that afternoon sounded more melodic than any music he could ever hope to produce.

"You know, I think we've got it down," she said a few hours later. The sun was now setting outside, casting a violet and blood orange tinge to the skies. He couldn't help admiring the way her face glowed softly in the fading light. "Just brush up again at the rehearsal dinner and then maybe once more on the morning of the day of and we're good to go."

He smiled in agreement, and then asked, "What would you like to do for the rest of the evening?"

"I should probably go home," she said, checking her watch.

"You're leaving?" he asked, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "So soon?"

"Soon?" she repeated, though she was smiling. "We've practiced for hours."

He thought he could see the afternoon spell physically shatter. They were having an enchanted time and she was now clocking out as though the hour struck twelve. It pained him to watch her roll up her notes and gather her belongings. He wanted her to stay.

He followed her to the front entrance but right as she was about to place a hand on the doorknob, he cornered her, leaning his elbow against the doorframe.

"So rude of me not to have asked beforehand," he smirked as she gasped in surprise beneath him, "but won't you stay for dinner, Tomoyo-san?"

"Oh, um—well, I—"

"You didn't have prior plans, did you?" he implored. Their foreheads were nearly touching and his nose was now overwhelmed with that intoxicating aroma of lavender and honey.

"Stay for dinner!" a voice called out behind him. It was Nakuru. He could always count on Nakuru in times like this. Spinel-sun flew up towards Tomoyo soon after, hovering around at her shoulder.

"We made an excellent noodle dish and some sushi," he said. "There's more than enough for you to join in. Would be a shame if you had to miss out."

"Well?" Eriol grinned, turning his attention back to her. He was still casually leaning over her against his doorframe so she slipped out gracefully under his arm and stepped towards Nakuru to give her verdict.

"I'll stay."

––

Dinner was no quiet affair. Between Nakuru juggling several balls of Takoyaki and Spinel attempting to avoid having said Takoyaki stuffed into his face, there was a lot going on for Tomoyo to take in. Spinel dove into Tomoyo's hair to take cover. Eriol never noticed how similar the two colors were until he saw how well the creature blended in with her dark curls.

"Do they always do this at meals?" she giggled to Eriol.

"You have no idea," he responded.

"The food's all really good though," she praised.

"You'd have me to thank for that," Nakuru proclaimed proudly.

"Lies!" Spinel accused, sticking his head out of Tomoyo's thick tresses. "You tried to bake me into that cake. I do all the directing here. You're just a sous-chef."

"Speaking of cake," Nakuru turned to Tomoyo, ignoring Spinel. "Please try some! I promise it's tasty."

"I don't know how I could refuse," Tomoyo laughed as Nakuru thrust a slice in front of her unceremoniously. She accepted the offer graciously and took a generous bite while Nakuru eyed her expectantly. She swallowed and beamed at the pair. "It _is_ really good!"

"Of course it is," Nakuru declared. "I made it without Spinel's help. And I'm glad you like it."

Tomoyo giggled again and it made Eriol truly glad to think that she was enjoying herself here. He made a note to tell her so later.

"Now if you all are done shoving food down our guest's throat, I think it's time we allow her to go home and get some sleep," Eriol announced once Tomoyo finished her last piece of cake.

"Yes, wouldn't want to worry Mother," Tomoyo agreed. She bowed her head politely. "Thank you for the meal and your hospitality."

"You're welcome!" Nakuru exclaimed. "And you're welcome anytime in the future as well!"

"Oh, thank you," Tomoyo replied, much more shyly this time. She got up from her seat and started for the door.

"I'll walk you home," Eriol offered at once, following her back to the front entrance.

"No, it's fine, I'll ask a driver to pick me up," she said.

"It's no problem for me if you just let me—"

" _No_. I rather have someone pick me up." She said this so firmly that Eriol decided not to argue the case.

"Well, then," he cleared his throat. "I'll wait with you outside."

The night was quiet and warm; birds were singing in a nearby tree as they walked along his garden path towards the front gates. Eriol sensed the air was heavy, however, with the weight of Sakura's imminent wedding.

"Seems like you had a decent amount of fun today," he noted out loud to her, eyeing her closely.

"I really did," she agreed, not looking at him. _She doesn't want to talk about last week_ , he thought.

"And I really enjoyed making music with you. I can tell you love it as much as I do," he said as they reached the gate.

"Me too," she replied simply.

He sighed inwardly at her short responses. He could tell she genuinely enjoyed herself today but she wasn't willing to fully let herself express it for some reason. It felt to him like she was just right there on the edge of tipping over and all she needed was one last thing to push her and then she would fall—towards him, he hoped.

"You know, Daidouji-san," he started, going off on his earlier observations. "I think something has changed about you. Something small. Something subtle."

"I'm not sure what you mean," she said, still not looking at him.

"I think you do," he said with a smile. Her limo arrived and she stepped forward. "And I think eventually, you'll tell me."

She finally turned to look at him as one of her guards got out to hold the door open for her. Instead of responding, she gave him a thin smile.

"Goodnight, Hiiragizawa-kun. I'll see you tomorrow at the rehearsal dinner."

And with that, she got into the car and he watched it drive away.

––

Eriol watched her closely all throughout the wedding party's rehearsal the next day. Even though Tomoyo was as agreeable as ever towards Sakura's will, he thought he sensed a difference in her. At the bachelorette party, though she was all smiles and laughter, there had definitely been a loneliness that came from within her, no matter how hard she had tried to hide it. During rehearsal and throughout dinner, she seemed…more at peace. He would have to keep up his observations.

"You sang nicely," Eriol complimented her as he sat down next to her at a round table in the corner. After the rehearsal ended, they were all pleasantly surprised to discover that Syaoran's mother had ordered a full course traditional Hong Kong dim sum set-up in the banquet hall.

"You heard me yesterday already," she said, rolling her eyes.

"An extra compliment never hurt anyone," he said amiably.

" _Au contraire_ , it could," she replied. "And you know it."

"Alright, Daidouji-san, if you don't want to hear nice things…" he held up his hands in defeat.

"Oh, go bother someone else," she said returning her attention back to the shrimp shumai in front of her but in spite of her apparent annoyance, he noticed a small smile barely playing on her lips.

"I don't think you really want that, do you?" he winked. She looked up from her dish and gave him a withering look.

"And what do you know about what I want, Hiiragizawa-kun?" she asked. Her expression was inviting, not scornful.

"Enough to stick around," he countered, shoving a taro dumpling gracefully into his mouth.

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you're so full of it."

"So I noticed you decided not to sit at Sakura-san's table," he prompted her,

"You're not dropping that ever, are you?" she said with a completely straight face.

Eriol opened his mouth to respond but at that exact moment, Yamazaki appeared at his shoulder with his shifty grin and a plate of food.

"Did you know that dim sum actually started in Hong Kong because of a bun festival that was held to keep angry ghosts away?"

"Yeah, yeah, sit down and eat," said Chiharu's voice from behind him. Grabbing his shoulder, she pushed him down onto the chair next to Eriol, who turned to perpetuate the lie to the dismay of everyone else around them. The talk with Tomoyo would have to wait until later.

––

When he arrived early at the venue, everyone was busy and running around, so he let himself into the wedding ceremony room and sat at the piano, casually warming up. At some point the wedding coordinator came by to check in with him, but other than that, no one disturbed him more than a friendly hello. Until…

"Hiiragizawa-kun."

He looked up at once, recognizing her voice, and smiled. She was truly a sight to behold as she stood there in her blush pink bridesmaid dress, her hands folded in front of her, her hair twisted into an elegant knot on the side of her head. There was a cherry blossom headpiece in her hair—presumably all the bridesmaids had them for Sakura—but the flowers crowned her ears delicately and blended well with her dark tresses. Eriol couldn't stop staring.

"There's about thirty minutes left before the guests are allowed in here. Want to warm up really quick?" she asked.

"Daidouji-san," he said, unable to help himself, "you look stunning."

He thought he saw her cheeks tinge slightly pink but other than that, she made no other sign that she was affected by his statement.

"Start with the arpeggios," she ordered. He obliged.

The wedding ceremony went beautifully. Eriol continued playing all throughout the procession; the bridesmaids filed in looking pristine, Sakura was more radiant than ever before, and Syaoran's expression at the sight of her was priceless. (Kerberos, although needing to hide from sight, peeked out of Syaoran's pocket to give him the wedding band. Clearly, Eriol thought with a smirk, Kerberos had to be involved in some way otherwise they would never hear the end of it.) And when the time came, Tomoyo handed hers and Sakura's bouquets to Rika and stepped out from her maid of honor spot to sing with Eriol's piano accompaniment.

Even as he played, he couldn't stop watching her. How was she feeling inside now that Sakura was _finally_ getting married right then, right there?

Finally, Syaoran and Sakura, with their vows, wrapped up the wedding in holy matrimony and sealed it with the ending kiss. The crowd burst into applause and cheers of joy. Touya looked resigned but reluctantly happy all the same. Eriol glanced over at Tomoyo. She had a genuine smile on her face, as though she truly could not be any happier for her best friend standing next to her. He hoped for Tomoyo's sake that those feelings were pure. And as he looked at Syaoran and Sakura standing there all aglow, he had to say there really was no room for a single sad heart.

"A toast," he heard her voice say, hours later. He looked up to see her holding two glasses of champagne with an extra bottle of red wine under her arm, neither smiling nor frowning. He had been sitting by himself watching Nakuru harass Touya into dancing with her, all the speeches and the couple's first dance now having finished ages ago.

"Well, this is a surprise," Eriol chuckled, pulling back the chair next to him for her to sit in. "Wouldn't have expected you to come around on your own volition. You're not going to dance?"

"Don't have a partner," she said, plopping down and handing him a glass of champagne.

"Is that an invitation?" he asked, accepting it and raising his glass to her. "Or a last resort?"

"We'll see," she smirked. They clinked their glasses together and drained them.

"What are the prerequisites for it to be an invitation?" he inquired, refilling their now empty glasses with wine.

"Probably just more alcohol," she answered, taking a generous sip. Eriol burst out laughing.

"Ah, Daidouji-san, this is why I like you so much," he said, grinning at her. "Never a dull moment with you."

She looked extremely pleased with herself and began absentmindedly tracing her index finger along the rim of her cup.

"So Sakura-san is married," he stated. "What happens next?"

"Anything," she said simply, refilling her glass back to full. Raising it, she announced, "To new beginnings."

"Indeed," he agreed, clinking their glasses a second time and drinking to her words. Eriol remained silent, scrutinizing her closely, willing her to speak and fill the space he was currently refusing to fill. He was waiting with suspense for her to reveal why she had sought him out first and initiated a conversation. It really was rather out of the ordinary and yet…

"I should thank you, Hiiragizawa-kun," she told him at last. She continued to trace the rim of her cup as she tried to put her thoughts into words. "I've been thinking a lot this past week and a half—"

"A dangerous pastime, I'm sure," he quipped, eyes full of mirth.

"Very dangerous," she concurred. "And well, I think I've made peace with myself and the situation with Sakura-chan."

"Oh?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't get me wrong, it isn't any less painful," she explained. "But I've made peace nonetheless."

"And you have me to thank because…?"

"Ever since you told me to not be afraid to seek my own freedom," she started saying, and he was immediately reminded of that night, how she pulled him in and kissed him, how their breaths intermingled and her eyes had changed underneath the moonlight. "I've been thinking a lot about who I am as a person, as an individual and it made me see just how little concept I had of myself. I didn't seem to exist apart from other people. My mother, the little I actually know about my father…Sakura-chan. I have no identity without them."

She broke off to take another sip of wine and then stared down at her hands, which were still tracing circles around the rim of the glass. Eriol could tell by her slow pace and absentminded fidgeting that she needed time and space to speak about everything that was on her mind, so he remained silent and patiently waited for her to continue.

"When Sakura-chan asked me to sing for her ceremony, it felt different somehow. Even though I have always readily prostrated myself at her feet to willingly do any huge favor she asked of me, this time felt different. Obviously I said yes in the end," she waved a hand indifferently at the redundancy of this statement, " _however_ —for the first time, I recognized that I wanted to say no for several reasons. And instead of what I usually do, which is to not think about myself at all, I actually thought about myself a lot. Which, by the way, was highly refreshing—and rather earth shattering—to say the least."

"Well, I'm impressed," he praised her, clinking his glass to hers again. They drank together once more and he poured them both another. "So? How did that feel?"

"At first, my immediate thought was how selfish I was being. Then I realized: it was perfectly okay to not want to do something because _I_ didn't want to. And after processing all that, I still decided to do it for her because it's for her special day. But there was a difference. I freely chose to do it whereas before, I was doing things for her because loving her had become such an integral part of my identity as a person that I couldn't separate myself from it anymore." She looked up at him. "And that's what I should partially be thanking you for."

"I didn't do anything," he shrugged, smiling at her. "You came to that place on your own."

She was looking at him in a way that made him curious. He wasn't sure if it was the trick of the light or the alcohol, but her eyes were large and there was an almost hungry look about them as they bored into his as though they were seeking for…something, something to answer her questions, something to assure her and tell her everything would be all right. Was it possible she—?

"I think I've had enough wine to say that this is an invitation," she said, interrupting his thoughts. Standing up from her seat and curtsying exorbitantly, she held out a hand to him. "If you will."

He gave her a lingering look and placed a hand in hers. "It would be my pleasure."

"Wait," she commanded, holding a hand up. Grabbing her glass, she downed what was left of the wine and rather gracelessly placed it back on the table.

"Please, we don't want a repeat of last week," he reminded her. She merely smiled and pulled him back with her out onto the dance floor.

"Which part of last week are you referring to, anyway?" she asked. She placed a hand on his shoulder and he placed one around her waist. They began to sway slowly, circling around on the spot, her easily following his every move.

"Well—definitely not how it ended," he replied grinning. He saw her cheeks tinge pink once again but she did not back down from his gaze despite the fact that she clearly did not expect this answer.

"Are you presuming that it'll happen again, then?" she inquired, holding her chin up resolutely, refusing to shy away. He thought the alcohol was definitely an improvement on her mood.

"Oh, I hardly ever presume anything," he joked genially, smirking at the exasperated expression on her face. "Whatever will happen will happen."

Her eyes narrowed at him.

"So what are your intentions with me anyway, Hiiragizawa-kun?" she asked, cutting straight to the chase.

"If we are going to have this conversation, I'd say it's about time you start calling me Eriol," he quipped.

"Answer the question, _Hiiragizawa-kun_ ," she snarled.

"Whatever do you mean?" he asked innocently, twirling her around for a turn.

"Oh, I don't know, let's think," she said in mock concentration. "You've been basically following me around since you got back, you keep asking me about Sakura-chan, I end up drinking a lot because of you…you've never shown interest of any sort in me before, so why now?"

"First of all, I refuse to take credit for making you drink a lot," he said. "Second of all, can you blame me? The more I talk to you, the more I'm blown away by what a force you are to be reckoned with."

"Cut the crap, Hiiragizawa," she said irritably. "You're always trying to sweet talk your way through everything."

"If sweet talking and telling the truth coincide, what is there to complain about, Daidouji-san?" he prompted. She scoffed.

"Because," she started, then stopped. He waited for her to finish her sentence but she looked away and simply continued to step to Eriol's lead in silence.

"What would I be…as you call it, 'sweet talking' my way through in this particular situation?" he asked after a few more moments of her refusing to speak.

She looked up and glared hard at him—a sure sign that he had asked something worth receiving an answer to. He grinned at her. She glowered back.

"Can I have everyone's attention for a moment, please?" the emcee's voice interrupted. "We will now be preparing for the bride and groom send off! Please grab the mini bottle of bubbles we've given to each guest on your table and we'll send them off with a whirl of rainbow soap!"

Tomoyo broke away from him without another word and went back to her bridal party table to grab her bottle, leaving Eriol to go back and grab his own. _He was close_ , he thought, _so very close_.

Pink in the face from elation, Sakura stood there with Syaoran in the center of the room, both of them waving. On the emcee's count of three, everyone else blew out bubbles so that the entire room was soon filled with clear orbs of soap colliding and floating around them while they all laughed and admired the sight. Eriol spotted the back of Tomoyo's head ahead of him near the entrance. Syaoran and Sakura left amid to cheers and a constant stream of bubbles, and once the door closed behind them, she looked back and caught his eye. He smiled but she looked away. He had expected her to come back and finish their conversation but instead she walked off towards another exit that led into a hallway.

Following along, Eriol eventually found her alone outside on the balcony area. He hadn't known this was part of the venue but most likely, she had had the time to explore earlier as the entire bridal party had been here since dawn. Tomoyo looked so peaceful standing by herself at the edge of the balcony that he almost didn't want to interrupt.

Well _, almost_.

"What's up?" he asked, stepping up to the railing next to her and leaning his elbow upon it.

"Just feels surreal that it's all over," she replied, looking up at the stars. "And I'm—I'm free. I'm finally free."

The way she looked now was how he would always hope for her to look. Her tiny frame leaning against the balcony railings, her tight bun having loosened over the last few hours trailing stray locks of hair behind her ears, and her gaze focusing upwards with all the hope in the world. Truly, this is what hope looked like, he thought as he admired the way her deep amethyst eyes reflected the stars.

"To new beginnings, right?" he said, quoting her earlier statement.

"Yeah," she agreed, still looking upwards. "I can't decide where to start."

"Might I suggest a visit to London?" he asked slyly. Her head turned to face him and she was wearing a startled expression.

"What, with you?" she asked incredulously.

"I'll take that as an 'I'll think about it,'" he beamed.

"You expect me to go on this excursion with you yet you still haven't answered my previous question," she scowled.

"Nor you, mine," he shrugged. "What would I be sweet talking my way through, love?"

"I asked you mine first," she said.

"Are you asking because you already know the answer and are just trying to get me to say it out loud?" he queried. "Or do you genuinely not know?"

She stalled at this and he could see a vein twitching underneath her eyes.

"For you to say it out loud," she grumbled.

"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow. "So what do you think my answer will be, then? I'd be thoroughly impressed if you responded correctly."

She didn't want to admit she didn't know, he thought, laughing to himself as he watched her struggle with her words. He was close to winning that tiebreaker point.

"You know what?" she said. "I don't want to know that badly anyway."

"Ah, that's a shame, Daidouji-san," Eriol sighed. "Because I do."

"This is _exactly_ why I want to hear you say it out loud, actually," she snapped, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Whatever do you mean, love?" he asked innocently.

"Because," she started, "you're constantly playing games and usually I know what you're up to, I can see through most of your bullshit. But—"

"But?" he repeated hopefully. She looked away from him and stared determinedly down at the garden below them.

"I don't know. I don't know what's gotten into me," she said.

"What are you afraid of?" he asked gently.

"Not afraid," she said quickly.

"Part of being free, Tomoyo, is admitting when you're afraid."

She turned to face him and he saw confusion in her eyes. He kept his gaze gentle—no playful jesting, no secondary motives. She still didn't seem to trust him quite fully yet but he could see briefly the effect that calling her by her first name had on her. A barrier seemed to have fallen and her eyes softened.

"This past week and a half, I thought a lot about Sakura-chan," she said, restating the conversation they had earlier, " _but_. I also thought a lot about you."

 _She was thinking about him?_ He resisted making a snarky comment and waited in silence for her to continue, though his stomach was doing somersaults.

"And even though talking to you was helpful, I also couldn't stop thinking about how you were still probably playing games the whole time because that's just how I've always known you. Not to say that it isn't a fun challenge to play along. It's actually quite invigorating. But…" she trailed off and took a deep breath. "In the last few days, I started to realize that when it came to me, I didn't want you to be playing games anymore."

 _Oh, how the tables have turned._

"Is that what you're so concerned about?" he asked taking a step closer. She didn't back away. This must be why she was so keen to call him out on his so-called "sweet talking."

"Can you blame me for thinking you're the type to mess around with people just to 'have fun'?" she posed skeptically.

"Are you implying that playing games with someone means I can't be seriously in love with them?"

She glared at him. So she _was_ implying that. He'd just have to prove her wrong. He took another step closer. She still didn't back away.

"Okay, then. I don't blame you at all," he said, cupping her face and tilting her chin up. "However, I can assure you that you are someone who doesn't ever have to worry about that with me."

Her eyes were wide as they examined his face and he knew she was looking for any sign of truth to his words.

"How do I know I can trust you?" she breathed.

"I don't think anyone fully knows whether they can trust someone or not," he replied, "yet sometimes, we choose to do it anyway."

"Okay, well," she said, her darkened eyes searching his. "I've admitted that I'm afraid. Now what?"

"Now, you choose," he answered, tracing her bottom lip with his thumb, "between staying in fear or overcoming it."

They stayed frozen like that for what felt like minutes; his thumb softly stroking her slightly parted lips and her eyes closing faintly at his touch. How badly he wanted to kiss her as his fingers cradled her delicate porcelain face, but he knew he had to wait. She was on the edge of gradually yielding to him and he couldn't let anything ruin that crucial moment of decision. Finally, her eyes flickered up at him and he gazed down into them, ready to hear her response.

"Or maybe, I can choose both," she said, grabbing his collar and pulling him in even closer. He could feel her warm breath on his lips, could almost taste the scent of lavender, and his smirk widened as he felt every exhilarating syllable of her next words. "Because trusting you, Eriol, would be madness."

He didn't think she could have given a more perfect response and as she began eyeing his lips only millimeters away from her own, he knew what he was allowed to do next. Grinning triumphantly, he closed the gap between them and covered her lips with his own. Last time, she had pounced quickly and ended it just as abruptly. This time, her movements were sweeter and slower. He was able to feel every curve of her lips and fully appreciate how soft they were and how they moved with his as easily as water. There was no rush, so he took his time to savor every part of her. His tongue slid smoothly along her bottom lip and her grip on his collar tightened. She opened her mouth, allowing them both to explore each other gently. His hand slid down to her hip and lifted her up so that she was sitting on the railing. Her hands reached up to sink themselves in his hair while she wrapped her legs around his waist and his hand found her back, fingers burning against her bare skin.

He completely lost track of time. They could have been kissing for hours, yet it felt like only seconds. When she pulled away, she leaned her forehead against his like she did last time; but instead of fading out, when her eyes fluttered open to meet his, the fire in them did not die. They burned even brighter than he had ever seen—that was the best part of it all.

The second best part was that he won the game. But seeing the way she was smiling up at him now, that didn't matter anymore. Because like Spinel said, Eriol had a funny feeling that they would be playing more games for many years to come.

––

\- _el fin_ -


End file.
